


Things Left Unsaid

by RaySimp



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2019 [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Day 2- Paparazzi, DickandDamiweek2019, First time doing angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, no editing, we die like mne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 10:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18409097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaySimp/pseuds/RaySimp
Summary: With cameras capturing Damian Wayne in Brooklynn with some "unidentified" people, Dick gets worried.





	Things Left Unsaid

**Author's Note:**

> So… I’m using Damian’s new Teen Titan group. Or parts of it anyway. But I absolutely refuse to touch the “Ric Grayson” bull DC was shoving my way. So, Damian is just beginning with this new group, Damian’s first team (I use that phrase very lightly), of Starfire, Raven, and others did not happen—but Wallace did work with Robin from sometime, I don’t know, like a one-time-off-deal-type-thing, okay? Okay.  
> This was not the way I wanted to use the prompt, but Damian is such an angst ball in Teen Titans (2016) and I wanted some type of consequence for Bruce and Dick not telling the family (especially Damian) that he was, in fact, not dead.  
> Damian is splitting his time between school, Jon, and Teen Titans- and Dick finished his Sypral mission and is recovering at the Manor with some type of injury.

_Damian Wayne, Troublemaker?_

 

Dick picks up the _Gotham Gazette_ issue, lets out a sigh, and begins to read the article, wondering if he should call the lawyers, his sides protesting from the lingering injuries from his long-term stint as a spy as he takes in a too deep breath to release another sigh. The newspaper in his hands already rustled from Bruce’s reading when he was eating breakfast before he left for the office with Tim.

_Damian Wayne was seen in Brooklynn, meeting with at least two other unidentifiable people. Witnesses say they had skin so pale they looked blue, the taller one had a chain and the other one wearing a bizarre suit. Rumors are spreading about the youngest Wayne…_

Dick’s reading was cut off as Damian rushed into the room, grabbing a spare apple from the fruit bowl and lunch from the counter before Damian was about to leave the room, but Dick spoke up, “What, no hello?”

“Hello, Grayson. Now I have to get to school, Alfred is waiting for me at the helicopter pad,” Damian informed, running out of the room. Dick rolled his eyes and finished reading the article and eating his breakfast. The article was full of lies, but Damian was spending a lot time in Brooklynn, and Dick can’t remember the last time Damian had free time. Obviously, this caused Dick to feel anxious for an explanation, maybe he was being paranoid? Or Damian more friends than just Jon? Why was Damian even in Brooklynn?

By the time Alfred returned, Dick was in the Cave, finishing his reports from the Sypral mission, prompting Alfred’s frown of disapproval. But Dick could not stay in the Manor all day doing nothing and he was going to worry himself crazy until someone told him what Damian was doing, because last time Damian was acting this secretive there was a clone. Speaking of someone knowing what was going on, “Hey, Alfie?”

“Yes, Master Dick?”

“Has Damian been around the Manor very much? Because I can’t remember the last time he actually sat down,” Dick asks.

“I believe Master Damian is usually in the cave by eight to prepare for patrol and eat dinner. However, between dropping him off at school and him showing up for dinner, I do not see him. He requested that I only pick him up on days when the young master patrols with the younger Mister Kent, on other days he brings himself home,” Alfred informs.

“Do you know what he is up to? Because the paparazzi figured out he is in Brooklynn,” Dick’s voice is hesitant, not wanting to cross a line, but willing to find any evidence that Damian might not be safe.

“No, what Master Damian does outside of the Manor and city is his doing, unless I am informed otherwise. Is there anything else you need Master Dick? Perhaps a cup of tea, or sleep?”

Dick’s head drops in embarrassment, “Um, a cup of tea would be nice. I’ll be up in half an hour, okay?”

“Splendid, Master Dick, I will set it out for you then."

 

* * *

 

Damian’s pattern of rushed mornings and staying out all day continued for a couple of weeks, sometimes resulting in more _Gotham Gazette_ articles and Dick read every single one of them. But this last one was the last straw.

 

_Confirmed, Damian Wayne, Brooklynn Bad Boy_

The article in question was describing Damian’s actions in Brooklynn- ranging from rooftop meetings with a dark-skinned girl, meeting in alleys with two males, and even meeting Emiko at a small café. It also has a picture of Damian with two dark figures, Damian holding out his hand in a handshake with the tallest figure. Dick was beginning to worry about his brother, needless to say, not that Damian was getting into trouble or anything like that, but that Damian would feel he could not come to Dick with his problems and needs to run off to feel better.

So, Dick called Damian’s school, saying the thirteen-year-old is sick and would not be in today. And when Damian runs in the kitchen Dick calls out, “Damian, sit down, please.”

“I can’t, Grayson, I—”

“I called you in, said you were sick. Now please sit down and eat something better than an apple. You look thinner than normal,” Dick gently demands, pulling out a chair for the teen. Now that Damian was in Dick’s view for more than a minute, Dick notices Damian’s physical changes from the last time he saw the teen. He was thinner, shirt and jacket hanging off his frame slightly, bags under his eyes look like bruises, and his hair-though perfectly styled- had lost part of its shine. Dick calls out to the kitchen, where Alfred is, “Alfred, can you make Damian something to eat, I would try, but—”

Damian cut him off, “As I would eat anything you make, Grayson.”

“Exactly.”

“Of course, masters, in fact I already have something prepared,” Alfred walks into the room, with an omelet with green bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions and a small cup of Greek yogurt with strawberries and granola, then places them in front of Damian. Alfred’s eyes shine in a way Dick knew that Alfred wants to smile as Damian began to eat, so Dick smiles at both of them instead. “What would you like to drink, Master Damian?”

With cheeks turning a slight pink, Damian finishes his bite of egg and requests, “Anything is fine, Pennyworth. I appreciate it,”

“Of course, I believe tea with brown sugar, fresh lemon, in a china cup would be best,” and with that Alfred walks away, leaving the younger men alone.

Dick lets Damian eat silently for a few more minutes before bringing out the newspaper and placing it on front of the teen, “Anything you would like to say, Little D?”

“Nothing that you need to know of, Grayson,” Damian answers as Alfred places his tea on the table and exits the room again.

“Really, Damian? Because I can list multiple reasons why I would need to know why you are being spotted in Brooklynn.” Damian gave Dick a dark look as he finishes his eggs and begins his yogurt, but Dick did not let that detour him from his goal, “I could be asked why you were in Brooklynn by reporters, like Vicki Vale. You could be having an emergency and I wouldn’t be able to find you. I could—”

"Father does not care about my after school activities, so why should you?" Damian says, then he takes a sip from his tea.

Dick’s shoulders slump slightly at that, "Bruce does not have a good track record of asking his family what they are up to. I just want to make sure you are safe. Because if something happ—"

Damian stands up from the table, food forgotten, and yells, “I get it! I do! But it is not like you have not kept secrets from me! Perhaps it is my turn to keep you in the dark, make you feel unnecessary emotions and think of 'what if's!”

Dick’s temper is beginning to spark, but Dick stomps it out before he says something stupid, “I’m sorry that I hurt you—”

“It was not just me your fake death affected! Todd went off on a killing spree, Drake left the Manor to work with the Titans, and _if_ Gordon visited- she would not look me in the eye! But the worst was that I came back from the dead— _the dead_ to find out that you were never coming back! I could do things people could only dream of! I could fly, I could lift the Batmobile, I was bulletproof! But none of it mattered- _nothing mattered because you were not here…_ ” Damian screaming pattered off into whispers as he looked down, as if these thoughts were sacred, as if this was the first time he ever spoke them into existence.

“Oh, Dami…” Dick starts to get up pushing his chair back, but Damian leaps backwards as if burned and turns his back to Dick.

“So, I do not think I can trust you, at least not yet. Perhaps it can be recovered- over time and space- but not—not right now,” the teen’s voice wavers and hiccups at the end.

Dick can see a tear hit the carpet, feels his heart shatter- all the pieces jagged and sharp, but he accepts this- this distance if it means that one day Damian can trust him again, “Okay, Damian. Take the time, all the time you need. I’ll be here when or if you are ever willing to give me a second chance.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to write something about the paparazzi crossing a line (as noted from when I joked that Dick should call the lawyers) or paparazzi catching Damian and Dick doing something cute (like playing in the park or going out to the arcade) and Dick cutting them out and placing them into a scrapbook or something- but as you can see the angst grabbed me and clung on for dear life. Sorry.  
> I have a couple ideas in the back of my head about a sequel (that might be used for the upcoming prompts) but I don’t know. If you would like you see one, let me now on here or tumblr (@rayesimp or @rayewriting) and I’ll add it to my list.


End file.
